Judge John West sentenced Antrone Smith to 15 years to life in prison. It was the only sentence Judge West could impose because a jury found Smith guilty of murder, but not capital murder.

A Hamilton county jury convicted Smith in March of punching his child, DeMarcus Jackson, in the stomach and killing him. The punch caused in internal bleeding which resulted in the child's death.

DeMarcus was put into foster care, along with three other siblings, when he was 9 days old. His mother, Latricia Jackson, regained custody and prosecutors say the abuse by Antrone Smith started shortly afterwards.

"When you bring kids into this world, we're supposed to be the best parents that we can be to keep our kids out of harm's way," foster mother Latasha Tye told Smith in court. "You had a support system from your family, the system, from me when nobody was there."

"Every day that I lay down, I hear Marcus screaming 'No, Ma, no, Ma!' because that was the last thing that he said to me when I put him in your arms," Tye said. "He was the baby, a happy baby. from his first walk to his first tooth, to his first smile."

"I just want to say that I'm sorry for what happened. I can't bring back my son. And I'm just sorry for it," Smith told West.

Jackson pleaded guilty to child endangering last month. Her sentencing was delayed until after Smith's case because she testified against him in the murder trial.